Impress announces purchase of Amcor's Food Can and Aerosol business in Australia and New Zealand

Canmaking News
September 2007

Impress has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Amcor Group's Food Can and Aerosol business in Australia and New Zealand. The transaction is expected to complete in the fourth quarter of 2007 and is subject to the customary regulatory approvals.

The Amcor business to be purchased by Impress comprises of seven facilities. The products manufactured include steel food cans, easy open ends, peelable ends, and steel and aluminium aerosols. The principal food markets served are ready meals, dairy, and fruit and vegetables. The markets for Aerosols include cosmetics, air fresheners, and insecticides. The business delivers to several blue-chip international companies who are already Impress customers elsewhere, including Heinz, Nestlé, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever. The operation being acquired has an annual sales turnover of approximately 150 million euros and employs approximately 600 people. It is the largest producer of aerosol cans in Australasia, and the second largest producer of food cans.

'After our recent expansion into several new countries (in Eastern Europe, North America, and North Africa) this is another major step in our strategy to extend our geographical coverage while staying focused on our core metal packaging markets', says Francis Labbé, Chief Executive Officer of Impress. 'We feel very comfortable about this business as we know it well through a Technical Assistance Agreement we have had in place since 2002. It is a well-run operation, with good people and a strong reputation for quality and reliability. We believe this is an excellent platform for creating value through the deployment of Impress's skills, particularly in Operational Excellence and Innovation.'

Impress
t: +33 2 4348 5100